Is There a 'Jungle Telgraph' Where You Are ?

[Chief Engineer]

It is amazing how quickly news passes from one marina/service provider to another.

You hear a new rumor/story.....later that day/week you hear the same story (usually with some embellishment).

I do know for a fact that some marinas will "put out the word" about someone that has left without paying or has been evicted from their marina.

[zeehag]

lol..on the water there are 11 stories--only one of which is true. i usually hear about those in different parts of this world-- in sin diego the rumors pass swifter than the truth.

[Tellie]

Sure there is. Unofficially.

98% of everyone I have ever delt with have been decent to work with. Even when they are frustrated and POed. But there are always one or two. I kind of pride myself at being able to talk people down. If I want to stay in business I have to eat a lot of crap, to a point. I get a few calls each year from freindly competitors warning me about some so and so on the boat so and so. I usually take the warnings very seriously. The few times in the past where I did not I was screwed each time one way or another. My business is based on both repeat customers and word of mouth. Alot of my word of mouth business comes from many of the same people that warn me. I take into account what the problem was. If you did not pay or ripped off people with whom I work with in the Marine industry I won't work on your boat. I have very good relationships and long standing trust with them, they can hurt me far more than the few people who are idiots.

[zeehag]

i would love to find a decent repair --independent-- who isnt in possession of sticky fingers. is not a good way to build any credibility when all the worker can do is walk off with stuff after stringing a job along for 2 months that should have been done in 1 week. i know there ARE good independents--i was referred to this one-- i usually trust my own referrals and not those from others, as i find many folks donot have standards in whom they hire for their work. i would like my workers to have more than 10 teeth and decent dentist, and decent physical health, showermore than once per year, as well as in possession of knowledge and ability. work ethic is important-- have none-- i will fire. i will only expect of others that which i would expect from myself-- or i will pay the 85 dollars per hour for i to be done right the first time. when the8 5 dollar an hour dude cant handle it-- then i must seek GOOD help from alternate sources. OR risk losing many tools overboard by doing the job myself. i also donot like the worker to mess up my teak-- by messing up i mean irreparable damage. this worker has destroyed more teak than i will ever be ale to replace. he wasnt worthy of the job he tried to do. does this sound like i am refusing to pay for a job??? or does it sound like i am being fleeced??? LOL. worlds most expensive backing plate!!!

[jackiepitts]

Word of mouth is very important to me before making a decision on who works on our boat. There are quite a few shady characters in the marine business and I have learned to listen to what other boaters are saying about people in the marine business. If I hear even one bad comment I take my business elsewhere. I look for the person/company with a "golden reputation" and it has served me well so far.

[zeehag]

i do NOT hire the ones i hear negatively of, but i have found a large gap in reliability in hearsay of others s to what passes as good work. large gap. therefore i donot hire many folks referred to me by others. must consider with whom the worker to be hangs, and who is the to be workers best buddies--- what is that group's moral standards... etc....

[Bash]

Here's a funny story in that regard. I recently had a local sail loft build a new jib. When it was delivered I sent the other jib in for a cleaning. When it came time to pick it up, they had tacked on a couple hundred dollars to the bill because they restitched it. I objected to this charge because I had not authorized any restitching--the sail was only three years old--so the owner of the loft removed the charge. I told this story to the guys on the dock. The following week, a dock neighbor sent his jib to the same loft to have it cleaned. On the work order he specified that this was for a cleaning only, and that no other work was to be done without his authorization. Sure enough, two weeks later the sail came back with an extra $200 charge for restitching. Although his sail had needed it, he objected to the charge and it was removed from his bill. When he got the sail home, he thanked me for pointing out the way this loft was scamming its customers, because he'd just gotten a restitching job for free.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Bash

Here's a funny story in that regard. I recently had a local sail loft build a new jib. When it was delivered I sent the other jib in for a cleaning. When it came time to pick it up, they had tacked on a couple hundred dollars to the bill because they restitched it. I objected to this charge because I had not authorized any restitching--the sail was only three years old--so the owner of the loft removed the charge. I told this story to the guys on the dock. The following week, a dock neighbor sent his jib to the same loft to have it cleaned. On the work order he specified that this was for a cleaning only, and that no other work was to be done without his authorization. Sure enough, two weeks later the sail came back with an extra $200 charge for restitching. Although his sail had needed it, he objected to the charge and it was removed from his bill. When he got the sail home, he thanked me for pointing out the way this loft was scamming its customers, because he'd just gotten a restitching job for free.

I was with you all the way until the last sentence. Perhaps it was just the way I read and interpreted it, but it read to me like one good scam deserves another.
I understand people having issues with scammers, rip off charges by companies who feel they hold your product hostage, companies getting $85-$120 an hour who send workers who show up hung over, workers that have no tools and ask to use yours, workers that do not know what they are doing and have no training and very little experience, take two hour lunch breaks when they do show up and on and on. They are out there to be sure and we all have run into our share of them. But I do have a soft spot for the good Marine service people as well. They often take the beatings from the other side as well. Don't shoot me, because I'm a sailor too. But I know more than one service specialist that won't even work on sailboats. We as sailors, not all, have a somewhat less than stellar reputation in the Marine service industry as well. Help the good ones out by spreading the word. Also good communication and job description written plainly and clearly is vital for a good working relationship.

[Ex-Calif]

Sailing is a small community everywhere. And in my experience sailors love to gossip.

I keep joking that the sailing scene here is like "Singapore Junior High"

I don't pass along rumors or participate in other people's rumors but do I love to plant my own innocuous rumors and see where they come back.

[zeehag]

i equate life on the water with a very very small town .. in which everyone is bored and nosey and talkative......

[shadow]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I don't pass along rumors or participate in other people's rumors but do I love to plant my own innocuous rumors and see where they come back.

I'm with you there, 100%!! LOL

[scook1]

There is no jungle telegraph where I am, but this one place I heard about...

[Chief Engineer]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I was with you all the way until the last sentence. Perhaps it was just the way I read and interpreted it, but it read to me like one good scam deserves another.
I understand people having issues with scammers, rip off charges by companies who feel they hold your product hostage, companies getting $85-$120 an hour who send workers who show up hung over, workers that have no tools and ask to use yours, workers that do not know what they are doing and have no training and very little experience, take two hour lunch breaks when they do show up and on and on. They are out there to be sure and we all have run into our share of them. But I do have a soft spot for the good Marine service people as well. They often take the beatings from the other side as well. Don't shoot me, because I'm a sailor too. But I know more than one service specialist that won't even work on sailboats. We as sailors, not all, have a somewhat less than stellar reputation in the Marine service industry as well. Help the good ones out by spreading the word

There are a number of Boaters that have gained that reputation around here...namely (some) Attorneys....and anyone with a PhD that insists on being addressed as "Doctor".

I work on a number of Physicians vessels and they insist I call them by their first name.

[FrankZ]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I was with you all the way until the last sentence. Perhaps it was just the way I read and interpreted it, but it read to me like one good scam deserves another..

I don't see anything wrong with a consumer being armed with the information that a business might try a scam. It would have been more cost effective for the business to mention a restitching was going to be needed rather than doing the work and trying to trick someone into paying.

If the customer tried to claim after the fact they should get the restitching for free, after agreeing to a written (or verbal) estimate, that would be completely different.

Maybe if more customers get free work done the vendor will start being upfront, or at least updating the estimate prior to doing work.

I had a problem with a tire a couple weeks ago. Took it in, they were able to plug it. They also tried to sell me a "throttle body cleaning" as well. They charge $99, the dealer would "charge me over $200". Had they gone ahead and done the work without asking first they wouldn't have gotten paid. They didn't BTW as I declined the work.

[SurferShane]

Re: “Jungle Telephone”

The last time I saw something fitting this description was on Middle Percy Island. Nowadays I think they just use mobile phone networks, SMS, internet forums and Apple touch-pads?

I’m mad, I’m mad, I’m mad……………,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,